What is homelessness for women?

In 2016-17, 10,407 women in Wales asked for help with homelessness. They were either already homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. Many of them were single parents or pregnant, putting a significant number of children at risk of homelessness as well.

Women who are homeless have different issues and different needs to men, and we believe that different kinds of support should be offered to women so that they can leave homelessness behind.

You do not have to be living on the streets to be classed as homeless. Women could be relying on friends or family for somewhere to sleep or might be living in one of our supported accommodation projects or domestic abuse refuges.

The issues faced by homeless women are often very different to those faced by homeless men. Women may be homeless because they have fled an abusive relationship or because they’ve developed serious mental health issues, often as a result of historical abuse. Much emergency accommodation simply isn’t an option for many women, since living in a mixed-gender environment is likely to exacerbate any issues they are already experiencing.